


In Darkness Hides Stars

by penguinspy42



Series: A Family of Songs [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Family, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-28
Packaged: 2017-12-12 03:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinspy42/pseuds/penguinspy42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Changing time is dangerous, and no one knows that better than River Song. But some things are worth the risk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I don't mean to complain, except I kind of do a bit," Clara said as she followed the Doctor through displays of model star ships and various types of phasers. "But when I asked to go somewhere awesome, a museum for some old science fiction program was not the first thing on my mind."

"First off, it's not a museum for some old science fiction program," the Doctor replied as he spun around, clapping his hands with all the glee of a child in the universe's largest toy store. "Well, it is, but it isn't. See, I helped Gene Roddenberry out of a spot of trouble. Actually he helped me, but who's counting? Long story. Anyway, over lunch I may have mentioned a couple details here and there about the troubled history of the star fleet in the Dasos galaxy, which he in turn adapted into Star Trek."

"So you're saying that's all real? All those shows and movies, they're all real?"

"Yes. No, not really. Key word is _adapted_. He did take a number of liberties with the history for the sake of entertainment. But yes, more or less."

"Do you often do that? Just ... influence people to create things they may not have otherwise?"

"Rarely. Occasionally. Yes. Have before, probably will do in the future. Exciting, isn't it?"

Clara shrugged. "Seems a bit manipulative to me."

"It's always for the good."

"Is it?" she asked, lifting a brow skeptically.

The Doctor turned on Clara, stopping her in her tracks. He studied her closely with an intense gaze that made her uncomfortable but she stared right back, unwilling to back down. Finally he turned away, muttering, "You're just as maddening as my wife sometimes."

Starting at the comment, Clara walked quickly to catch up to his long strides. "Hold on, you're married? How'd you manage that? She must've not had much of a choice. Or did you manipulate her into marrying you?"

Stuttering objections, the Doctor rounded on her again, this time with a spark of anger in his eyes. He kept starting and failing to finish words until finally he gave up and shook his head. "Long story," he said with a tone that clearly indicated he didn't wish to share any further, and he turned away. "Oh look, it's the tribble petting zoo!"

Clara knew it was no good attempting to get him to say any more just then so she didn't try as she followed him into the short queue. Best to just maneuver back to the topic another time. She'd have to beat him at his own game to get any information out of him.

"See, Clara," the Doctor said, gesturing to a hulking grey-green man with pockmarked skin holding a single tribble at the front of the line. "Tribbles are very sensitive creatures, but they don't react negatively to any one race like on the show. Anyone who is very odd or exceedingly negative, the tribbles sense that and it causes them distress. They test each person before they're allowed entry so it doesn't cause mass panic among the poor dears."

"Odd you say?" Clara asked with a smirk. "So what makes you think they'll let you in?"

"Oi! The tribbles adore me!"

Before she could make any further comment, the queue moved and they were next. The Doctor bounced forward first and true to his word, the tribble which had been relatively still seemed to move toward him as he approached, and it even made a happy purring sound. He gave the creature a little pat despite the glare of the handler and then bounded into the enclosure. Stepping forward, Clara expected much the same treatment, but instead the small ball of fluff gave a grating screech and withdrew immediately.

The handler quickly pulled a cloth over the tribble. With a jerk of his head toward a display across the way, he grunted, "Wait over there."

"But my—" she began, motioning toward the enclosure.

"I _said_ , wait over _there_."

Clara spotted the Doctor in the enclosure surrounded by a growing pile of furry puff-balls. Before she could get his attention, she was hurried out of line by a menacing crack of the handler's knuckles. Oh well, he'd notice she hadn't come in soon, wouldn't he?

The display she had been shooed away to was nothing more than a bank of screens that alternated between shots from the Earth program and what were presumably photographs of life in the galaxy. In the middle was a darkened display with a red button underneath. Clara firmly believed buttons were meant to be pushed, especially in museums, so she pushed it. The screen flickered to life and briefly projected a blue grid over Clara's head. A cursor blinked on the screen then started typing out information.

Age: 24

Intelligence Level: High

Race: ...

"It's Human, you cow," she said to the blinking dots. "You know, from the same planet this silly old show is from!"

The screen cleared at her words to be replaced by the image of a female who was similar in appearance to a Vulcan. "Hello and welcome to a comparison of life in the Dasos galaxy to the recently discovered Earth fictional universe referred to as Star Trek. It is currently unclear how a primitive planet in a galaxy millions of light years away developed stories so eerily close to our own civilizations."

"I have a pretty good guess," Clara mumbled.

The woman on the screen continued to lecture, but Clara largely ignored it. It seemed as much time was spent on insulting the inhabitants of Earth as was comparing Star Trek to the Dasos galaxy. True, some things did seem to be a bit simplified in Star Trek over how they really were for the races of Dasos, but in more of a step down manner, as if the Doctor surreptitiously provided a roadmap to advanced technology through storytelling.

A loud explosion blew all thoughts from Clara's mind and knocked her forward into the display. After struggling to regain her balance, she turned toward the source. Through dust settling on shrieking tribbles, she could see a large void blasted in the back of the enclosure. She rushed forward, her only thoughts for the safety of the Doctor, but didn't make it to the gate before a woman with a shock of golden curls vaulted through the hole holding a gun in the air. The mysterious newcomer immediately spotted the Doctor rising to his feet among the rubble. She seemed surprised but amused as she ran over and grabbed his hand then continued racing for the exit. Behind her, three hulking men, similar to the tribble handler but much larger and more menacing, clambered awkwardly through the hole brandishing large blasters.

The mystery woman looked like she would stop for no one as she dashed through the exit gate dragging the Doctor behind her. But stop she did, a look of shock on her face along with something more. Sadness maybe, or fear?

"Clara?" She blinked a couple times before dropping the Doctor's hand and grabbing hers. "Run!" 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changing time is dangerous, and no one knows that better than River Song. But some things are worth the risk.

The woman took off again through the museum with Clara in tow and the Doctor racing a couple paces behind. As she did her best to keep up, Clara's mind raced even faster than her feet moved. Who was this woman the Doctor so willingly followed and who knew her name? She seemed so familiar yet Clara was certain she had never met her before.

"Doctor! TARDIS?" the woman called.

"Lobby! Right!"

They cut the corner close, barreling through a group of what Clara assumed were school children. "Sorry!" she shouted over her shoulder as they continued to run.

The three burst into the blue box and Clara slammed the door just in time to see the three men stumbling over each other as they rounded the corner. The increasingly familiar jolt of the TARDIS entering the time vortex turned her attention back to the console where oddly it was the woman, not the Doctor, at the controls.

"We should be safe now," she remarked as she checked the scanners. "We're in space, far enough off that they won't be able to detect us."

"So, my bad girl," the Doctor said, cracking a grin. "What trouble have you brought me this time?"

"No, wait, hang on," Clara broke in and moved toward the two, pushing past the Doctor. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"She's—"

"I'm asking her, not you," Clara said, cutting the Doctor off. "Well?"

A ghost of the expression from before crossed the woman's face before she explained, "I'm... River Song. I'm the Doctor's wife."

"You're joking."

River let out a short laugh. "Let me guess, he hasn't told you he's married."

"No, he has. It's just I thought he was lying, or—or, that his wife would be a bit..." Clara made a couple quick circular motions with her finger next to the side of her head.

"Well, I'd probably be lying if I claimed I was perfectly sane," River replied, a twinkle in her eye. "I did marry him after all."

"Oi!" the Doctor protested and the two women laughed.

"Has he always done that weird thing with his hands?" Clara asked, waving her hands around wildly.

River nodded. "He has."

"I can tell you two are going to be dangerous," the Doctor remarked, pointing to each in turn then leaning against the railing in a sulk.

"We tease because we care, sweetie," River said, moving beside him and patting his arm.

The Doctor scoffed. "Lovely way to show it."

"Wait, but you didn't say how you know my name," Clara pointed out.

River turned her attention back to Clara, regarding her for a moment before explaining, "The Doctor and I, we meet in the wrong order. Things that have happened for me are still in his future, and vice versa."

"So the first time you met me was sometime in my future?"

"Spoilers."

"You'll hear that a lot with her," the Doctor cut in.

"We can't talk about what the future holds for each other. His rules," River said, nodding her head toward the Doctor.

"Time can be rewritten," the Doctor explained. "And knowing one's future can enable one to change it. Not always for the best."

River looked away at that and quietly said, "Some things are worth the risk."

With a growl, the Doctor turned on River. "You of all people should—"

"I didn't say it was the smartest thing to do," she snapped back, "just that sometimes—sometimes it's worth risking a worse future if the alternative means losing something irreplaceable."

" _I_ am not worth risking—"

"I never said I was talking about _you_ , did I?"

"So!" Clara interrupted. "River, what were you doing blasting a hole in the museum?"

River shook her head. "I didn't blast that hole. It was those three buffoons that were after me. I'm an archaeologist. I'm in the business of preserving, not destroying."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and made a mocking show of dusting off an invisible artifact, an act River pointedly ignored.

"Why were they chasing you in the first place?" Clara asked.

Retrieving a small tricorder from the pouch at her hip, River explained, "I may have liberated this from its display. I don't have a clue why they're so upset. It's obviously a fake."

Frowning, the Doctor asked, "Won't the university frown on you stealing items from museums? Even if they are fake?"

"Oh, no dear. I'm long out of university and the guards at Stormcage are well past caring what I do. They don't even bother to add on to my sentence anymore."

The Doctor's response was that of pure glee, like a puppy offered a lifetime supply of bones. "Stormcage? _The_ Stormcage? With a cell and storms and guards and bars and everything?"

River nodded but before she could say a word the Doctor gave an overexcited giggle and threw his arms around her. "River, do you know what this means? No, I suppose you wouldn't, but it's _wonderful_! Spoilerifically wonderful! Is that a word? I don't care, it is now!"

"I'm glad you're so thrilled I'm in prison, sweetie," she said, patting his arm and edging away with a look like she'd just been hugged by a madman.

Clara coughed. "Prison?"

A sober expression fell across River's face as she turned toward Clara and gave a slight nod. "Yes, I killed a man. A good man. Him, in fact."

Glancing at the Doctor, Clara remarked, "I don't know if you're aware, but he's alive. Or is that a...a spoiler?"

"No, it's just complicated. I was supposed to die, but I found a loophole."

"So why are you staying in prison if you didn't do what you're accused of?" Clara asked.

"Secrets keep us safe," River replied simply.

Clara stopped mid reply and frowned. "Wait. _Secrets keep us safe_? Haven't I heard something like that recently?"

"Right then! Tricorder!" The Doctor plucked the instrument from River's hand and examined it closely. "Why steal it if it's fake?"

"I was hired to. My client did lead me to believe it was of some importance. I can't imagine why since it isn't even authentic."

"You break out of prison to steal things for people?" the Doctor asked incredulously.

"A girl can't just sit around waiting for you to show up for an adventure," River replied with a shrug. "Besides, if someone wants something stolen, they generally are up to no good. If I can figure out what it is they're planning, I can stop them. It's usually more obvious than this, though."

Taking the device from the Doctor's hand, Clara said, "Maybe it has a hidden message."

"That's entirely _too_ obvious," the Doctor scoffed. "No one would use a tricorder to send a hidden message. Especially one sat in a museum. Anyone could discover it."

Undaunted, Clara pressed a fingernail into the seam and pried the two halves apart, revealing the tricorder to be nothing but an empty shell.

"There, see?" the Doctor asked, as he quickly took on an air of superiority. "It's obviously someone's toy and they just want to find it again. I know how they feel. I had a lovely recorder I wish I could find. Every time it turns up, it disappears almost immediately. I think the TARDIS is hiding it from me. She just doesn't appreciate the music of a master."

"There _has_ to be more to it than that." As she held a hand out to take the pieces back from Clara, the two women gasped. River's hand looked as though it had been covered in a bright red glove.

The Doctor, however, laughed out loud at the sight. "Hah! Talan Dye! It's invisible, doesn't harm items, but it stains organic material red if not counteracted quickly with a special soap! Thieves are caught red-handed! Get it? Their hands are—"

"Doctor, I really don't think that's it." River's voice was uncharacteristically small and she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away her angry red flesh.

"'Course it is. What else would it be?" he asked, strutting around the console to River. "You just hate it when I'm right because it proves I know more than you."

River's head snapped up to meet the Doctor's eyes, her anger drowning his mocking superiority. "I will _always_ know more than you about certain things, Doctor. Things you'd never understand even if you spent the rest of your life in a library."

The words enraged him and his eyes narrowed, becoming as cold and sharp as his words. "Do not _ever_ think you know more than me. Your little _spoilers_ are nothing compared to the secrets I possess, the losses I've endured." Turning away, he growled, "And don't you _dare_ threaten me with a library."

Clara couldn't imagine why a library would be a threat, and based on the confusion that flickered across River's face, she didn't know either.

"Very well, you flaunt your vast knowledge for your—" she glanced at Clara with an unreadable expression, "companion, and I'll do something useful like researching in your library." She started for the hall leading deeper into the TARDIS and called out over her shoulder, "Not a threat, so don't take it as one."

"Maddening woman," he mumbled, leaning heavily against the console.

Something stirred within Clara. Maybe she recognized something in River that she saw in herself; someone thrown into the Doctor's life and forced to deal with his decisions with little thought from him until it was too late. Or maybe she just hated seeing another person hurting. Whichever it was, the resentment she held for the Doctor's actions that threatened to bubble up so many times came to a head and she marched over and punched him in his arm.

"Ow! Oi! What was that for?"

"How can you treat your wife like that? I still don't have the slightest clue how you ever got her to agree to marry you, but since some miracle occurred and you did, instead of being such a—such a _complete idiot_ , you should thank her every single day of your life and apologize for not being the man she deserves. Then go back in your TARDIS and do it all over again." She punctuated her rant with another swift hit to his arm then stalked off after River, leaving the Doctor mouthing wordlessly by the console.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changing time is dangerous, and no one knows that better than River Song. But some things are worth the risk.

Even though Clara couldn't be sure, she strongly suspected the TARDIS was trying to keep her from finding the library. Whether it was because the room was off limits, or the TARDIS was just being contrary, she didn't know or care. Something told her that she needed to find River. She wandered the identical corridors, her frustration growing with each step until she broke. "I'm just trying to help, you cow! She was hurting; she was hiding it but I could tell. I just want—I _need_ to know she's okay. Please!"

In answer her plea, the door to her right creaked softly. Clara approached it, pushed it open and stopped short in awe. Inside was a cavernous room, many times bigger than the tallest cathedral and bathed in a soft golden light. Dozens of alcoves of books branched off on multiple floors of balconies that reached all the way to the ceiling. It was massively impressive, so much that it took Clara a minute to notice the woman, hunched over a desk with her back to the door.

"River?"

She jumped in her chair and exhaled heavily when she turned. "Sweetheart, you startled me."

Clara approached slowly and saw River's eyes showed signs of recent tears. "Traveling with the Doctor is hard. I can't imagine what it must be like being married to him."

Turning back to her book, River said, "It's not always a bed of roses, I can tell you that. But mostly it’s worth it."

Pulling a chair over, Clara sat by her and her eyes were drawn to River's arm. The redness was spreading and extended to cover her wrist as well. "The Doctor was wrong about the dye, wasn't he?"

River nodded, her focus remaining on the book. Her hand moved to rest on a sealed bag containing the two halves of the tricorder.

"But you know what it is, don't you?"

"I do," she replied as she turned to Clara. "And it's imperative that I find a cure."

"Cure? It's a disease?"

"Bacteria, yes. One that only affects those of us with binary vascular systems."

"So you're a Time Lord too?"

"Well, I was born to Human parents who traveled with the Doctor. The energy from the Time Vortex affected my DNA and made me part Time Lord. You could say that I'm a child of the TARDIS."

It suddenly made sense to Clara why the TARDIS kept her from the library so long; she was protecting River, making sure she had the privacy she needed before she had to face another person. Maybe the old cow wasn't so bad after all. Without thinking, Clara placed a comforting hand on River's arm but gasped at what she saw; the same redness that afflicted River was blooming across her own fingers. She yanked her hand back and turned both upward, revealing the redness had already completely stained her palms.

When River saw the redness, she breathed, "Oh no."

"River! River! You were right! It's not the dye, it's—"

The Doctor burst through the library doors but stopped short when he saw the two staring in horror at the rash on Clara's palms. He strode over and grabbed her wrists, turning her hands over to see the redness spreading across the back of her hand at a visible pace.

"Wait, but why does she have it?"

"Doctor, you have to stay calm," River said as she got to her feet.

"No, why—how? It must be a mutation," he insisted.

"It really isn't."

He turned on River, with an intense darkness in his eyes and his voice low. "You know something. Tell me."

"This isn't how you're supposed to find out."

"If you know something that could help her, you need to tell me!"

"If I tell you, it could change everything!"

"Now, River!"

"She's our daughter!"

"What?" The Doctor stumbled back a step, glancing between them with a slight smile on his face as if he expected one of them to announce the whole thing was nothing more than a joke. "That—That's ridiculous! The silliest thing I've ever heard! Complete rubbish, in fact! She _can't_ be our daughter. She has parents. Earth parents. Tell her, Clara. Tell her about your parents, and the leaf, and everything."

Clara just stared at River in shock. Could it be? It all fit and it would explain why she felt such a connection to River from the beginning. Finally, she whispered, "I was adopted. And the only thing I knew about my birth mum was that she was serving a life sentence in prison. For murder."

A wave of emotions crushed Clara, ranging from elation to terror. She rose slowly and took a tentative step toward River. "You're my—"

In reply, River simply nodded with a sad smile.

"River? Really? How?" the Doctor squeaked.

"Yes, really. As for the _how_ , we'll need to save the birds and the bees talk until later because right now, we need to help our daughter."

"Why is it spreading so much faster than yours?" Clara asked.

"I'm more human than you so that slows its progress. The Doctor probably contracted it as a child on Gallifrey, and he was treated giving him some immunity. Unfortunately, you don't have the same resistances."

"Wait, hold on, Clara _can't_ be our daughter. She's only got one heart. I know, I scanned her."

"You _what_?" Clara strode over and much like before slapped him on his arm. Unlike before, the contact sent a searing pain through her arm so intense that she collapsed in the Doctor’s arms.

Rushing forward to help the Doctor who froze in shock, River ordered, "Hurry, help me take her to the couch."

Having the assistance of the Doctor and River was both a blessing and a curse for Clara. Though her legs were covered by tights, she was fairly certain the rash had spread to them as well, making her feel like she was trudging through lava. But where they were holding her up and she was resting weight on them was just as painful.

"It hurts," Clara said, struggling to keep a plaintive whine out of her voice as River helped her lie on the sofa.

"It's progressing rapidly," River replied, unable to keep the concern from her words.

"What happens next?"

The Doctor explained almost clinically, "It spreads to the hearts which it cauterizes, and then the brain which it liquefies. Once that happens, even a Time Lord can't regenerate."

"Doctor!"

"What? She asked!"

"Yes, well, I was going to be a bit less blunt about it." River glared at the Doctor before softening her expression and kneeling next to the couch. "I know you're afraid, Clara, but you've got the strength to push through this. You're stronger than you realize. Stronger even than you act. And I _know_ that."

"How do you know?" she asked, the strength rapidly draining from her body and her voice.

"Because I know you in pasts that were forgotten and futures that will never be."

"Wouldn't that be kind of a spoiler, then?"

River shrugged and smiled gently. "A little one every once in a while doesn't hurt."

"We'll have more time though, yeah? I want—" She coughed and tried to cover her mouth but found her arms too painful to move. "I want to get to know you."

"Hush now," River whispered as she ran a soothing hand over Clara's hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Spoilers."

At that, Clara's eyes slid shut and she knew no more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changing time is dangerous, and no one knows that better than River Song. But some things are worth the risk.

After one more tender kiss to Clara’s forehead, River stood and strode quickly toward the door. Shaking himself back to his senses, the Doctor turned and took off after her. "Wait, you never said, how does she have it if she's only got one heart?"

"She doesn't," River snapped.

"She doesn't have it? Then what is the rash?"

Stopping in the doorway, River turned toward the Doctor. "No, she doesn't have only one heart. It's a perception filter."

Scoffing, the Doctor said, "Can't be, perception filters don't work on me."

"This one does, I made sure of that. It changes waves a thousand times per second. You never had a chance to notice it. It even fooled the TARDIS to some degree. She doesn't trust Clara; she can sense that she was hiding something. But it was the filter."

He looked back in shock at Clara prone on the couch. Fumbling to retrieve his sonic from his pocket, he pointed it toward the girl and checked the readings and gasped. River was right. Now that he knew about the filter, even as complex as it was, it no longer kept its secrets from him. He even felt the TARDIS release tension that he hadn't realized she held. His mind raced with a hundred questions, but he could only vocalize one, "Why?"

"Because secrets keep us safe. Didn't you tell me that? Except they don't." River was struggling to contain her emotions, clearly a losing battle as tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to overflow. "I've tried over and over to keep Clara safe and she keeps dying! And it's my fault!"

"What? No, River, you—"

"I was selfish the first time. I kept her near my own time so I could see her. So she'd know me, then she was hired on Starship Alaska and crashed on the Dalek asylum. And she died, with no chance of regeneration."

The Doctor started to say something but River pressed on without notice. "But I couldn't bear losing her so I changed everything. I went back and I took her to Jenny and Vastra. They found her a home and watched over her, but that wasn't enough either. Ice infected her hearts, again prohibiting regeneration. The next time she died—"

"Wait!" The Doctor broke in quickly. "I've only met her the two times. Well, three including this."

She stared at him for a moment before she said, "Well, anyway, Clara was right. It was a message. Like I said, this isn't how you're supposed to find out. I don't know what will change now."

She was suffering, the Doctor could tell, though she was hiding far more pain than she was showing. Everything she went through on her own to protect their child, and he suddenly felt more useless than he ever had before in his too-long life. He had to do something, then it occurred to him, "Nothing will change, River, rule one."

"What?"

He rested a hand on her cheek, sweeping away a lone tear with his thumb. "Maybe I lied, or will lie, when I find out. When you tell me next. Or did tell me. Complicated, you know."

"What about Clara? She knows already too."

He pondered that for a moment before suggesting, "When I was infected with this when I was young, I don't even remember being treated. Maybe she won't remember what was said."

At that, hope softened River’s features, melting away much of the pain that had settled on her face. "You fainted when she was born," she said quietly, "and cried when you first held her."

With those words, his hearts pounded too fast like twin hummingbirds trying to burst from their cage. Did she really mean—? "Spoilers, River," he warned, but with a note of hope in his words.

"Like I said, a little one every once in a while doesn't hurt."

Clara was right, he thought. He really didn't deserve her. All he had done was press her buttons and tear her to bits, and what does she do? Break all the rules just to give him hope. "River, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for every tear I ever caused you and for not being there when you really needed me."

"Doctor—"

"But I'm here now, so let's save our daughter." He held out his hand to her and a small smile finally broke through the shadow that haunted her face since the redness had first made its appearance. Returning a tentative smile, he asked, "So, you have a plan, yeah? What's the plan?"

"Well, I was reading that since it was fairly common on Gallifrey, they developed a machine that could produce the curative serum synthetically. I thought maybe there'd be one somewhere on the TARDIS."

As if in answer, a door they hadn't noticed across the way slid open to a room with a massive structure, like a weeping willow only assembled from cables with glowing bulbs that hung like fruit.

"Oh, oh, you _brilliant_ old girl. You've made us one, haven't you?" He rushed forward into the room, knelt by a silvery capsule settled in a nest of cables, and explained, "Architectural Reconfiguration System. Anything you need, it makes. From entire rooms to a screwdriver. It's a shining example of Time Lord engineering that—"

"Right," River said, grabbing the capsule from the nest. "You can tell me all about how amazing it is later. We need to get this to Clara."

As she strode quickly back across the hall into the library with the Doctor at her heels, she fidgeted with the machine, twisting one end of it until a red light started blinking. After a couple moments, the light burned solid and she twisted the opposite end, causing a compartment holding a cylinder about the size of a thick marker to open.

"All I have to do is administer the serum with this laser syringe and we should see results almost instantly. Then I'll take care of us." She held up her arm, showing that her rash had only barely made it up to her elbow.

Glancing down at his hands, the Doctor saw his redness hadn't even met his shirt cuffs yet. When he looked up, he saw River pressing the laser syringe to Clara's arm, and with a light hiss, the serum was injected. She snapped the syringe back into the capsule, and they waited. He held his breath. It seemed like minutes passed though it was probably only seconds. But Clara showed no sign of change.

"It's not working," River said, rushing back to the book still open on the desk.

"Maybe it needs a bit longer?" he suggested without too much hope. He knew full well signs of improvement were usually immediate.

River made a loud noise of frustration and pounded her fist against the book. "It can't make the entire serum synthetically. It needs DNA from a geraster. What's a geraster?"

"Small furry Gallifreyan creature. Some people kept them as pets. I was never allowed. See, they reproduced asexually, so once you had one geraster as a pet, you'd have a dozen. Or more." He tried to keep a calm exterior but inside he felt like screaming. Though he hadn't pointed it out, he had been probably more at fault than River in Clara's deaths. Here again, it was his fault there were no more gerasters in the universe. He was grasping at straws, he knew, but he still offered, "Maybe—maybe there's one hidden aboard the TARDIS. There was once a rather annoying rovie stowaway I had to—"

"There has to be a substitute, Doctor, think!"

Pushing the self-loathing aside, he tried to think of all the creatures in the universe. Surely there would be a close enough match somewhere. Then it hit him, with a gasp he started running toward the door, calling over his shoulder, "Tribbles!"

As soon as he got to the console, the Doctor entered coordinates for not long after he knew they would've left the area. The tribbles would still be upset from the explosion, and he hoped they would be distracted enough that they wouldn't be affected further by a blue box suddenly appearing.

Stepping out of the door, the Doctor found himself face to face with the tribble handler cradling his charge. Taking advantage of the handler's momentary shock at the appearance of the TARDIS, the Doctor bent slightly to address the furry creature in his hands. "Sorry about this, but know you're saving a life."

The screech the tribble made after a few strands of its fur were plucked seemed to bring the handler back to his senses, and he took a swipe at the Doctor with a massive hammer-like fist. Ducking the hit, the Doctor wasted no time in slipping back into the TARDIS and sending the ship back into the vortex.

He could've sworn that the TARDIS must have moved the library close to the console room because it seemed like he was dashing through the door within just a few steps. River was kneeling by Clara so he snatched up the capsule and started turning it over in his hands. "Where do I put it?"

River stood and rushed over and took the fur and the capsule. "Here, I'll do it."

Without her blocking Clara, the Doctor could see that blisters were starting to break out up and down her arms. It had progressed quite far and he wasn't sure he'd ever seen a case so bad. "Please, River, hurry," he whispered.

In just moments, River was going through the steps to ready the serum, but this time instead of a solid red light, it shone green. She quickly removed the laser syringe from its slot and injected Clara just as before injecting herself and the Doctor.

Then they waited. And waited. Their redness began to fade, but there was no change in Clara.

"It's still not working! Why isn't it working?" River grabbed the sonic from the Doctor's pocket and scanned her. When she examined the tool, she let out a small gasp. "Oh no."

"What? What is it?" the Doctor asked, trying to peer over her shoulder.

"Her hearts, it's already started to spread to her hearts."

It was like someone punched him in the gut. He stumbled backwards a couple steps before managing to catch himself. This absolutely could not be happening. He'd lost her twice already which was hard enough, but now knowing that she was his daughter, it was unbearable. Something had to be done and he was the only one who could do it. Stepping forward, he gently nudged River aside and kneeled next to her and placed his hands over her hearts.

"Stop, Doctor, you can't do that."

"I can and I will."

The next events happened too swiftly to fully register. Something grabbed the back of his collar and pulled, while a fist came barreling toward the side of his head. Then all was black.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changing time is dangerous, and no one knows that better than River Song. But some things are worth the risk.

The first thought in his mind was that he had been in the middle of something important. It confused him because he rarely slept, so why would he have fallen asleep right in the middle of something? He tried to lift his hand to rub his face but was met with surprising resistance. Opening his eyes, he struggled to focus on his hand which seemed to have some heavy bracelet on it. No, wait, not a bracelet. Handcuffs anchoring him to the leg of the desk.

" _Again_ with the handcuffs?" he mumbled before raising his head. What he saw terrified him and brought the severity of the situation crashing down on him with the force of a supernova. River was kneeling next to the sofa, her hands already glowing with gold tendrils resting over Clara’s hearts. In his mind, fighting with the image in front of him, were memories from the library and he cried out tearfully, "River! No, stop!"

"She needs you and you need her,” she said without turning, but her words were shaky. “I have enough energy to heal but not regenerate. I know my time is limited. You two have all of space and time in front of you."

"But it could kill you!"

"To be honest, if I lose her again, I'll die anyway."

His sonic lay at his feet and he scrambled to pull it closer with his foot. But as soon as he was able to wrap his hand around the cool metal, he heard a gasp. Looking up, he saw River collapse to the ground. Fumbling with the sonic, he freed himself from the shackles and rushed over and took his wife’s limp body in his arms.

"River, no, don't do this. Don't leave me. Don’t you dare! You don't die here, you _can't_!"

"Doctor?"

He looked up to see Clara stirring. Her skin was still red but already much improved. She tried to sit up but he discouraged her. "No, shh, just rest for a bit."

"What happened? I was looking for River and then—and then I don't re—" she blinked blearily at the Doctor with River in his arms and gasped, "Oh my god, is she—"

He shook his head vigorously in response. "No, she's fine. River is always fine. Amazing, in fact. She's River. She _has_ to be."

Clara shifted and the Doctor went to stop her from moving, but she only covered River's hand with her own. At the touch, gently glowing braids of light flowed from the point of contact, curling around their flesh as if binding their hands.

"What is that?" she asked, wide-eyed.

The Doctor had no answers, only suspicions of things that he couldn't share with her. He couldn’t even be sure which one of them was the source. So he suggested, "It's ah … left over energy from when she healed you."

"She healed me? From what? I don't even remember finding the library."

The Doctor started to respond but River spoke first, though her words were weak. "You passed out when you got here. The tricorder contained rare bacteria that infected us all, but you should be fine now."

"River! You're okay!" the Doctor practically squealed as he hugged her close, fighting back the tears of relief that threatened to flow.

"Of course, sweetie. I told you I would be."

"Are you two alright?" Clara asked.

"Perfectly fine now, yes," the Doctor replied. "We all were infected, but River is brilliant and saved us."

"It was a team effort," River said dismissively as she tried to get to her feet as gracefully as possible. The Doctor tried to stop her, she needed rest after what she did, but she just brushed his hand aside. "Speaking of which, I have some business to take care of. But you two will see me again soon enough."

Giving a weak smile, Clara asked, "Spoilers?"

"You catch on quick," River remarked as she picked up the sealed bag from the desk containing the pieces of tricorder. "You don't mind if I take these, do you?"

"River," the Doctor said with a warning tone as he got up and moved over to her. "You need rest."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. We all will be now."

His hands reached for her completely without his permission and he pulled her close brushing his lips against hers, gently at first but then again and again with increasing passion. It was different this time somehow. He was not only kissing his wife and the woman he loved. He was also kissing the mother of his child. He fought back a giggle but couldn't help the smile that spread to his lips, one he felt River return. As they parted, River whispered, "You won't have to keep the secret for long."

He did giggle at that and looked over his shoulder at Clara, who was watching them with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. He flustered a bit as he turned back to River to find her fiddling with her vortex manipulator.

"Keep him in line for me, Clara."

"I'll do my best."

"I know." With a flash, River was gone.

The Doctor sat by the sofa and took Clara's hand, relieved to see that her skin had faded to a deep pink. "How are you? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm better. I don't need anything." After a moment's pause, she commented, "I like her."

He smiled. "I thought you might."

"First time you met her, she died, didn't she?"

The question was so blunt and unexpected that the Doctor nearly growled with rage before he was able to rein in the anger. After a deep breath, he replied, "I saved her. That's all you need to know."

Clara said nothing more but the Doctor could tell she wasn't going to drop it. She was stubborn like that. Rather like her mum. The thought thrilled him and he struggled to keep a grin off his face. Based on the look Clara gave him, he suspected he wasn't completely successful. But River was right, they would all be fine now, and hopefully soon, they would be a proper family.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changing time is dangerous, and no one knows that better than River Song. But some things are worth the risk.

River certainly was no stranger to breaking and entering, or breaking and exiting for that matter. It was a hobby that she took great pleasure in honing at every opportunity. Her skills had helped her obtain several gold medals at the Interstellar Smuggler Games on the planet Sabatak, some of which she actually won by competing herself.

Because of her polished skills, she was almost never caught off guard. But _almost_ can be just as much of a curse as a blessing. Perhaps it was the haunting thoughts of almost losing her daughter that distracted her from noticing how it was just a bit too easy to enter the stately manor that should've been locked down tight. Maybe the lack of any discernible security in the halls escaped her in favor of the memory of the look on the Doctor's face when he finally accepted the truth of Clara. Whichever it was, River realized a just a breath too late to escape the trap that was awaiting her.

The moment she sat foot on the rug in the middle of the seemingly empty office, the door slammed shut behind her and figures practically materialized at her sides, clutching her wrists with vice-like grips. They were ghostly creatures; white sculpted faces with no eyes but plenty of teeth and dressed in fine Victorian suits.

"Now, now, what kind of welcome is that for our guest?" The words didn't seem to come from any one point in the room, rather every point at once. At the request, the creatures released River and stepped back to flank the door. "Doctor Song, I trust the Doctor received my message?"

River pulled the bag containing the pieces of the tricorder from her pouch and threw it unceremoniously on to the desk. "Unfortunately, yes. Fortunately, however, its intended effect was avoided."

"Ah, I wouldn't be so sure about that. Every good plan needs a foundation."

"Plan?" River asked, frowning. "Who are you?"

"Who I am is a bit complicated. As for the plan, well, I am the last hope for success. What Clara did at Trenzalore was ... unexpected and less than ideal."

Though she hadn't heard it since university, the word sent chills down River's spine. "Why would Clara have anything to do with that place?"

There was a moment's silence then the voice continued, sound almost amused. "Oh, of course. You haven't done it yet. Time travel is entertaining, isn't it? I wish I'd done more before I became a splinter of my former self. Ah well, as soon as I'm rid of Clara, I shall be whole again and the Doctor will be no more."

In a flash, River drew her blaster from its holster and pointed it at the desk. Laughter surrounded her at the action.

"Do you really think your little gun can hurt me?"

"No, but I took the liberty of putting the pieces of that tricorder in a special bag made from transparent palaveti. It looks like plastic but it is a highly volatile and powerful explosive. One shot from my blaster will reduce this whole manor to a crater."

The gasp was audible in the room as if a draft blew through, then the voice growled, "You wouldn't dare. You'll be killed as well."

"I am a wife and mother, and you have threatened my family. You underestimate how dangerous that can make a woman; a mistake you will not live to make twice."

In one quick motion, River pulled the trigger and activated her vortex manipulator she had concealed in her sleeve. She closed her eyes as she vanished, hearing a roar of rage mingling with the deafening blast. When she opened her eyes, she was back in her cell, perhaps a little singed but she'd experienced worse. But all that mattered was that Clara and the Doctor were safe, and that was well worth a couple minor burns. Really, she'd give her life for either of them without a second thought.

That's when she saw the envelope on her bunk. Usually the sight of a letter sent her pulse racing from anticipation of finding the coordinates to meet the Doctor for their next adventure. This one, however, felt wrong. She hesitantly opened it and extracted a rectangle of fine card stock embellished with a raised blue border. Written in hard, deliberate print that created indentions in the paper were words that set River on edge and she knew she was going to have to fight harder for her family than ever before.

 

_This is not over._

_G.I._

 


End file.
